Cranes
After being at home coding until late, I was trying to decide if I should or not get out and catch some fresh air (as a matter of fact some 'less hot air', since it's as hot as hell here in Portugal) and get some dinner, or just code until I was tired enough to sleep. I decided the healthy one - eat. I really should stop doing that, or at least stop having dinner near a FNAC. The conclusion is that I came back home with less 100 €, with a 10 € meal being digested, a pack of cigarretes, and two plastic bags full of art.
One of the things I couldn't resist buying was a Cranes CD - a quite rare one. As a matter of fact I only bought it because I wouldn't probably never find it again, since nobody can convince me that this isn't a 2nd-hand CD. Violeta already told me she was having some bad experiences with Oporto's (Sta. Catarina's) FNAC as a matter of quality of preservation of CD's. Well, this was not only exteriorly bad preservated (which I noted as soon as I picked it up from the shelves), but it has been already used - guaranteed. I don't know what new deals/suppliers are they dealing with now, but I'm not liking FNAC's services lately... Oh well.
But, back to the matter, I got home and started to hear the CD. This is an AAD CD, from 1997, still from "dedicated records", and it is called "EP collection volumes 1 & 2". Not that they were ever sold separatedly, but it's a double CD. Since that finding their old material (even in mp3!) is quite difficult, this is a collector's must have, infortunately also not-so-easy findable. It covers Cranes since 1989's "Self Non Self" until 1997's "Population four", covering 12 of their releases in an almost chronologic order.
But Cranes' discography doesn't start there: "Fuse" was Cranes first demo-tape, released in August 1986, but these tapes are considered "lost" even by the members of the band, that say that a re-release of it will never see the light of day. Probably like Mordor's discography until now... After that, a Pre "Self-Non-Self" demo tape was recorded, the usual deal of a band of nothing-yet released that need something to show in order to get some gigs made. This was - so - a 15 copies "or so" release, so forget on having one in your hands... And then, in 1989, Cranes finaly got the way to release "Self Non Self", their first LP, under "Bite Back!"'s lable. In 1992 this LP was re-issued by "Dedicated", with the add of two more songs than the original version. I allways thought that the most in-your-face song of the album was "Fuse", so I was quite surprised to see that the songs chosen to this compilation were "beach mover" and "heaven or bliss". In 1990 they released two more EP's: "Inescapable" and "Espero" already under "Dedicated" lable, in August and November. In 1991 came "Adoration" EP, followed by "Tomorrows Tears" and then "Wings of Joy", this last one re-released in USA in 1997. This was, undoubtly, the most acessible sound they had made so far. The year ended with Alison Shaw (Cranes' vocalist) having a paralel project called "Inrain" with Rudy Tamaba (of A. R. Kane) that released one 7'' single in December. After one year gig'ing this full set of quick released, in 1993 the Cranes are back, releasing "Adrift", an EP, followed by "Clear", a promotional EP with three remixes of the music that can be found in the LP "Forever" that they released at the time, quickly followed by "Jewel" EP. Another release "Forever Remixes" was made, with one mix of "Jewel", four of "Clear" and the well-known Cloudless Thai's Mix. Then, "Everywhere Promo", a single CD, and "A taste of Forever", a rare promo cassete. "Shining Road" made Cranes' entry into 1994, being the EP that, with "Loved Sampler", made "Loved" probably the most successfull Cranes' release. Following the tradition, new singles and EP's followed, with "Lilies Promo", "Beautiful Friend Promo" and a surprising "La Trag�ie d'Oreste et Electre" an LP released in 1996 that is quite different to all that Cranes' did and where, and still felt so right. It is probably my favourite Cranes' CD, and was promoted with the "Ancienne Belgique Promo". "Population Four" and "Can't Get Free" were the two releases left before this compilation "EP Collection - Volumes 1 & 2" was made, "Population Four" being an LP and "Can't Get Free" a single having "Pier Scene", one song composed specially to the soundtrack to the film "Scarborough Ahoy!". Then, they released "'Til the Stars Shine", a lyrics book with all their lyrics, and that is as matter of fact being re-selled at the moment - if you want to catch one copy it's now or never, made in 1998. This book includes lyrics from what is to be 1999's "It's a Beautiful World", but get's then renamed to "Future Songs" - the first CD I ever heard from Cranes, and the first CD they did for Dadaphonic - their own record label they made for Cranes. This Dadaphonic releases must be fairily easy to find, since, even without having a great deal of distributors, they are themselves, and they care to bring to their fans their art. The CD was released in May 2001, and in January 2002 a "Future Songs Sampler" CD was made to try to boost their sells. After that, in April, they did "Submarine", a remixes CD, and "Cranes: Live in Italy" was released in May 2003 showing what can Cranes live be. In 2004 they released a new album "Particles ans Waves", that is now, since 2005, available in a CD+DVD release. On this 2006 they're still touring, but will Cranes reserve to us in the future?
EP Collection, Vols 1 & 2
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posted by Mind Booster Noori at 2:00 AM
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